Nightmares
by FreeEagle5
Summary: A Dark Artifices Oneshot. Emma finds Tavvy having a nightmare and comforts him.


Nightmares

Emma's POV

Emma woke up gasping, the back of her neck was coated in sweat. There were tears streaking down her cheeks as she blinked trying to get the bodies of her parents to leave her mind. Emma tried to take deep breaths to slow her racing heart. The image of her parents pale, waterlogged bodies was forever burned into her mind, even in dreamland she could not escape them. Sometimes she saw a hooded figure standing over her parents killing them, those were the worst ones. Emma decided that some night air would be best to clear her head. She slipped out from under her covers and grabbed a hoodie laying on the chair beside her. She slipped it over her tank top and sweatpants. The hoodie probably used to belong to Julian before Emma claimed it as her own. Emma walked down the hallway holding her flip flops so that she didn't make any noise. She reached the staircase and stopped. Emma heard whimpering from one of the bedrooms. It was Tavvy's.

Emma walked down the hallway to Octavian's room and slowly opened the door. On her way over Emma realised that Julian's room was empty, he was most likely in his studio working off his own nightmares.

Once inside Tavvy's room Emma saw the young boy, who could not be older than four, whimpering and crying in his sleep. Emma realised that he was having a nightmare, having experienced the same thing many times. Emma approaches Tavvy's bed and carefully shakes him awake.

"Hey Tavs, wake up honey." She whispers.

"No, please don't hurt me!" Tavvy yells while sobbing. Emma lifts him up and wraps her arms around him. Her heart aches for him.

"No Tavvy, baby, shh. It's me Emma. It's okay no one can hurt you. I will protect you I promise." Emma whispers in his ear while wiping his tears away and placing a kiss on the top of his head.

"Em-Emma?" He asks.

"Yes baby. Now how bout I take you to my room and we can bring a book and read a story?" Emma asks knowing that it's better for him to be with someone. Tavvy nods. Emma get up and helps Tavvy off the bed. He walks over to his bookshelf, clutching a teddy bear in his fist, and grabs a book. He hands Emma the book and grabs her hand. Emma leads Tavvy to her room.

When they get inside her room Emma lifts Tavvy onto her bed and let's him get settled while she turns on the bathroom light for him. Emma learned that Tavvy has to sleep with some light or else he won't fall asleep. Emma gets onto the other side of the bed and leans against the headboard. As soon as she stops moving Tavvy moves over so he is snuggled into her side, still clutching the bear. Emma turns the lamp on her nightstand on and opens the book and begins to read:

_The History of Jack the Giant Killer_

_In the reign of the famous King Arthur there lived in Cornwall a lad named Jack, who was a boy of bold temper, and took delights in hearing or reading of conjurers, giants, and fairies: and used to listen eagerly to the deeds of the knights of King Arthur's Round Table._

Emma kept reading allowing her soft voice to lull Tavvy to sleep. A few paragraphs later, Emma felt her eyes begin to grow heavy. She paused in reading a glanced beside her. Tavvy was sound asleep curled up against her. Carefully she placed the book on the nightstand and shut off the lamp. Then, without waking Tavvy, Emma managed to move so that she was laying the bed with Tavvy still tucked into her side. Emma kissed him on the forehead and allowed herself to drift to sleep.

Julian's POV

The shy is still pitch black when I leave the studio. I had had an especially bad dream and did not want to bother Emma with it. Instead I went to my studio and poured all my feelings onto the canvas, barely registering what I was painting. I only stopped when the paint tubes I brought out were empty and my breath was ragged. I was angry at the world for making my life so hard, but I would never ever trade my siblings for everything. They were like my children.

I walked quietly back to my room but stopped short when I saw Tavvy's door open. My breath caught in my throat as I strood into his room to see if maybe he had forgotten to shut the door, but no he was gone, his bed was empty. I tried to take deep breaths, maybe he just wandered out and was wandering around the institute. Maybe he was looking for me. By the Angel if he got hurt looking for me I don't know what I'd do. _No Julian it's fine._ I thought. I walked to Emma's room. If anyone was going to help me calm down enough to look for Tavvy it would be her. I just can't get the image of Tavvy alone and hurt out of my head. It's my worst nightmare come true. I briskly walked to Emma's room and quietly opened the door. Immediately I could breathe again.

There laying in Emma's bed was Tavvy, his sleeping body curled into Emma's. Her body was curled protectively around his. They both looked so peaceful, it made Julian's heart swell. As quietly as possible Julian walked over and put the blankets over them. Then he placed a gentle kiss on both of their foreheads.

"Goodnight I love you, both." He whispered before leaving and quietly closing the door behind him.


End file.
